2008-01

Stuart Turner, MD, MA, FRCP, FRCPsych
ISTSS President

This month I would like to tell you more about an exciting new venture for ISTSS. On June 16, at the Royal College of Physicians, Central London, we will hold a one-day symposium with expert updates covering a wide range of areas of timely importance, presented by current and past ISTSS Board members.

Psychosocial Therapeutic Interventions for Children with Traumatic Stress Reactions. John Fairbank, PhD

Treating Adult Complex Trauma Survivors. Marylène Cloitre, PhD

Longitudinal Studies in PTSD. How do they inform practice? Alexander McFarlane, MD

Treatment Outcome Research. Patricia Resick, PhD

Public Mental Health and Traumatic Stress in (Post-) Conflict Settings. Joop de Jong

Working with Refugees in the United Kingdom. Stuart Turner, MD, MA, FRCP, FRCPsych

What Do We Know About Early Interventions After Trauma? Richard Bryant, PhD

Five Principles of Psychosocial Intervention in the Immediate and Midterm Aftermath of Mass Casualty. Stevan Hobfoll, PhD

Early Lessons from the London July 7th Bombings Service Evaluation. Chris Brewin, PhD

Discussant. Ulrich Schnyder, MD

I hope that this wibe the first of many such meetings organised by ISTSS, making the society more widely accessible and helping us to disseminate our knowledge. There is information on the ISTSS Web site and registration details will be posted soon.

However, this meeting is important for another reason. It is being organised in conjunction with the annual meeting of EMDR-Europe and workshops offered by the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, June 13-15. There is a very positive spirit of partnership between the three societies in planning these events. Of course, we should work together. We are all committed to improving knowledge and services, to the benefit of trauma survivors. It is, nonetheless, rewarding to see that it can happen and in such a harmonious way.

The plans for the 24th Annual Meeting are well under way. This will take place in Chicago, November 2008. I hope that we will see the same spirit of cooperation, welcoming people from diverse backgrounds, who share a common focus on work with trauma.